Kirsten is a photographer, former nomad and current NYC resident. She still spends most of her time away from home on assignment but in between blogs about those adventures, & about what living a well rounded life means to her! Of course the definition of that changes frequently but does always include: an up to date passport, the chance to Do Good, yoga, classy fashion, good coffee, aviator sunglasses & a healthy dose of period TV shows or movies.

Win a Trip to Morocco!

MOROCCO won the voting part of this contest!!! Secretly, or not so secretly, that was the destination I wanted everyone to pick. I’ve been to Turkey and loved it (Seriously. So why did it get so few votes??) and certainly Peru is on my theoretical-list-that-has-never-actually-been-written-down of places I want to go as well…but, Morocco is my dream. I know Casablanca by heart and the real Morocco apart from movie lines is one I cannot long to discover more than I already do. It’s the place that really calls to me with some sort of almost audible voice.

There I go, digressing. (Can you tell I’m excited?!)

So, now that we’ve chosen the country, the third step in this fun contest Intrepid Travel has been so kind to allow us to host — is that Angie and I each get to pick a person to accompany us to this colorful and exotic country. How do you get chosen?

I’m pretty excited and I hope you are too! Intrepid Travel is all about focusing on having the same experience locals do, helping travelers immerse themselves in another country’s culture, traveling responsibly and spreading the joy of discovery. These are things I am about too. I can’t wait to be about them in the country of Morocco. So…if you don’t feel you can share these goals, and you don’t have a heart for the people of Morocco — please don’t enter. I know a free trip is a great thing but I hope it isn’t your only reason for entering.

A little bit of legal: Entry is open until October 20, 2012. Contest is open to individuals over the age of 18 who own a passport and have no restrictions which would keep them from entering the country of Morocco. If the trip dates chosen don’t work for you, you are welcome to use the Morocco Experience trip on your own up until June 30, 2013. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. In the event the same person wins both trips, another name will be drawn. Airfare, any taxes, visas, passport fees, meals and any activities not outlined at www.IntrepidTravel.com are the responsibility of the winner. AviatorsAndACamera.com is responsible for promoting the campaign and selecting a winner. All trip details, requirements and responsibilities are managed by Intrepid Travel. Contest is void where prohibited. Family members of Kirsten Alana are unfortunately ineligible to win. Sorry, mom!

Lea -The souq, of course. It must be a very dynamic place. And the desert and its changing landscapes.

Erika -I would love a panoramic photograph, proabably in the sunset, I love all sunset photographs, and it’d be great to have one with me in it and one without me, to have like a postcard. =)

twoOregonians-Hey lovely! If I won, my most prized picture would be of you and Angie and I all smiling together on top of the world somewhere – anywhere – in Morocco. I’m so excited to see how your trip goes! -Bethany

Cynthia Ord-I would love to photograph a sunset (or maybe sunrise) on the desert, maybe with a camel and some sort of forced perspective trick to add to my collection

Alison Corner -I would love to capture the shadows of camels crossing the Sahara Desert!

Shannon -I have “drink champagne in Casablanca” on my bucket list – my photo would be of that:)

JoLeah -Rolling around in the dunes!

Arlinda -I want a picture of me in Casablanca! Cheesy I know but I can’t help it.

Arlinda -I would love to go to Morocco to experience the rich history, culture, food and the people

beatrice -I have two b & w framed pictures of veiled women taken by r. lehnert in Tunisia, about 1910….I would love to take a similar photograph in Morocco.

Teresa G -I would love to capture a shot of the spice markets- either a colorful picture of the array of spices, or perhaps get a shot of our hands in some spices while cooking. Or, we could be silly and have a spice fight- but I think the Morrocans would get angry at us for wasting precious spices

Miss you!!! You’re hard to keep up with, but I guess that’s a good thing!

Sarah -It’s a bit cliche, but that photo of camels across the desert at sunset. I saw a friend’s photo of that years ago and since then Morocco’s been near the top of list. Just so classic and beautiful.

Kendra Moore -I want to capture people that capture the aura of Morocco if I win the trip. Or at least try.

CarolineK -I’d be excited about a picture of me with a glass of mint tea!

Lala {TDF Travels}-Capturing the people. Faces move me and the environment in which they live in would just be mezmorizing.

Tracy Zhang-If I could go to Morocco, I would spend my mornings walking and photographing their markets. I’m most excited about capturing the energy and color of the markets – there’s plenty of culture among them.

The Blonde -I have found that in many countries the fact that I have blonde hair and blue eyes makes me what my sister calls “a traveling freak show”. The advantage to that is that I sometimes get to have very amusing interactions, and very sweet ones, with locals. I am an experienced traveler, have an excellent sense of humor and no job, so scheduling the trip would be very easy! Oh, and I have a travel(ish) blog and “tweet” so could dither on about the trip in both of those venues.

Cassandra -The picture I would most be interested in is of the view I would have while riding a camel through the desert!

Terri Denhof-I think you have to let a day take you where it wants to. Beauty is everywhere in Morocco. A smile, the way the sand moves, piles of rugs, singing bowls. The photos are everywhere; what a dream trip this could be!

Arjun Rudra-Capturing dinner at Djemma el Fna as it transforms into an entertainers paradise.

ldysharkbait -Capturing that magical moment of making that purchase of a forever souvenir of the trip in a local market would be a must on this trip!

Sarah Arrojado -The most exciting thing to capture would probably be the little surprises on how Moroccans live their lives.

Anna Chato-I would love to capture photos of colorful things, like the blue doors above, vibrant stacks of local spices, spices painting local dishes marigold yellows and brick reds, locals lighting up pictures with their smiles, children playing in traditional costume, dolled-up ladies dancing the traditional dance, ancient pink walls contrasting with everyday things, stretches of desert sand blood-orange against an azure sky, intricately carved archways and ceilings, Moroccan slippers on my feet, cars and keys and pots and pans and markets and objects commonplace to locals but wonderful novelties to people who have never set foot on Morocco… and many other beautiful things that catch my eye.

WIN-uhmm.. anything! i would love to capture the scenes from the classic movie casablanca

Melody Co -camels, animals and the desert!

Pat Katepoo-I’d be interested to take pictures of meal time in Morocco–the food, the people, the customs.

Lynn O'Rourke Hayes-I love the markets. Photographic opportunities would be endless in Morocco. Great trip!

Dave L-Wow. Talk about the ultimate giveaway!!! Although, I too wonder why Turkey didn’t get some more attention. Guess I’ll know for sure when I win and visit Morocco!!

Tracy Smith -What an adventure this would be, and what inspiration to feed my soul. I have yet to travel “over seas” so I am very excited about this contest. All fingers crossed! It’s hard to just pick one photograph that I would like to capture. My first capture would be the desert/sand dunes near sunset while on camel, just miles and miles of sands/dunes. Would be fun to photograph. My other passion is food, so I would LOVE to photograph the markets, the fresh legumes, spices, that line the streets!

Audrey Bergner-I think capturing a photo of the souks – especially the lamps, would make a great shot.

thetravelchica -I want to capture a unique photograph of a camel (which is difficult because everyone that goes to Morocco has a picture of a camel). I won’t know what the shot looks like until I see it

Dustin Main-I’ve wanted to head to Morocco for YEARS (since watching Hitchcock’s “The Man Who Knew Too Much”). I was close a few years ago, but I was diverted to Europe and didn’t make it back over. Plus, gotta climb some of the mountains

Cally Duncan -I would love a silhouette picture of a campsite, camel and campfire under the full moon in the Sahara desert!

Sarah Stokely -I’ve been dreaming of going to Morocco since I went to an Intrepid slide night with a bunch of friends about 4 years ago! Would looove to do this trip. Although I looove Moroccan food, my food photography is pretty unappetising, so I think the shot I’d really like to capture is of a spice vendor at a market. Beautiful colours!

Bethaney - Flashpacker Family -I’d like to capture a photograph of the warm colours of ground spices piled up in a little medina alleyway.

Kailos -Sunset in the mosque

Shari Tucker -I am a profesional photographer and avid adventure traveler. My passions are people and experiences. Sad to say that I have lost a little of my passion for photography … I can’t tell you what one photo I would like to capture specifically … I can tell you that I’m looking for a magical meaningful photo (likely of a local who I have interacted with … but who knows!) that will re-ignite the fire in me and my passion for photography. Would love the opportunity to experience Morocco through my lens!

Tara Jones-Oh man….where do I start?? I’m a photographer who owns a food tasting + photo tour company in Santa Barbara and this is so obviously up my alley! So, most favorite photo to capture would probably be a night shot of the desert areas or the look on the faces of the locals amid the busy street vendors. Oh! And the colors of all the street vendors’ spices and fabrics….*sigh* I can hardly wait for the day I get to go to Morocco!

Chris R.-Meandering through markets is one of my favorite things to do during my travels. In Morocco, I’ll head straight to the nearest souk and start snapping away, capturing the colorful and rich textures of the textiles.

NaEun Park-I would LOVE to capture the amazing patterns and colors that come together to make Morocco a beautiful place. The details are phenomenal and the colors are so vibrant!!

Efrutik -” what photograph you would MOST be excited to capture…”
I think definitely the landscape shot with the sunset above the sea. Don’t know if that makes sense, but I imagine Morocco to be dreamy and yet raw with natural beauty. Also the sea captivates me in a sense that this African nation is so close to Europe….something like that I think.

A Montrealer Abroad-It’s funny that you picked Morocco doors as the first photo, because that’s exactly what I want to see. The architecture is AMAZING over there!

Laurence-That is one supremely awesome competition! I’m in! And obviously I’m going to be looking for that one bar.. of all the bars. . to take that one photo of

Matt -The one time I visited Morocco I only visited Marrakech, so I’d love to snap some shots of Casablanca.

thenorthernist -Oh Kirsten. I’m thrilled that Morocco is the winning destination. It’s difficult to put in to words how much I’ve wanted to see it. Yes, Casablanca is one of my favorite films (and there is now a version of Rick’s Cafe, which I might be tempted to visit) but beyond that, I think it’s something more to do with how removed Moroccan cultures are from my experience and what a feast for the senses Morocco is. This trip encompasses so much of what I’ve dreamed of doing–ride a camel in the Sahara, learn how to cook local dishes, get lost in the medinas and hide away in a riad.

As for photography, the question is what *wouldn’t* I want to photograph?! If I had to go with one subject, I have to pick the color blue in all its manifestations across the country. I think you’d be a perfect travel companion and I’d love to learn from you.

Greg -I’ve been to Marrakech, and I really want a photo of the central square at about midnight. We didn’t realize until our last night that midnight was the prime time, and I was suffering a little heat exhaustion!

Jeremy -A photo of Morocco that I’d want – any of them in the city of Chefchaouen. That city is gorgeous!

Chrystal-Clear-Ohhhh If I traveled with you I would be asking SO many questions about photography! But I would most want to capture a photo of camels in the sahara desert. Although I worked in Marrakech only a few months ago – I never made it to the Desert!! So I want to capture those orange hues and a slobbering camel!

jade -If I won, I would love to shadow you to see what your camera captures. Morocco has always been a dream, almost so exotic that I didn’t think I would get there any time soon. I’d love to take a cooking class and photograph the markets and people. fun contest!

Duna -I’m agree with Ashley Curtin. I’d like to capture the life of Morocco through the eyes, the voice and the gestures of indigenous people. And i’d be most excited to take photos of a grandpa (or grandma) telling stories to a group of children on the edge of fire. I’d like to capture the silence of the night, the presence of the stars, the words of the old man (or woman) and the fascination of children.

Christina -I always want to see Marocco because of his rich culture, the colorful houses, the desert, the people… I believe that everything would be awesome. But the thing I want photograph the most would be a bubbly, bazaar with hundret of nice things to buy.

Nice greetings
Christina

Ashley Curtin-My passion while on this trip would be to photograph the people of the land. Capturing the history through their eyes and personality in their posture, I love to learn about people in their most natural state. Morocco’s tribal practices and living customs make it a fascinating country to see first-hand through the lens of my own camera.

Scott MacKenzie-We did (Intrepid) ‘Best of Morocco’ last month and took +5000 photos … still working through them and will blog/post a lot in a few weeks … but my favourites (at the moment) have to be those taken on the camels, in the Sahara, or the sunrise in the morning as it is such a different experience compared to anything I have done before, but literally every place you go, and every route you travel, has something worthy of being photographed (click-click stops as our guide called them) … landscapes, architecture, local people (with permission), food, vibrant colours of spices and cloth in the medinas, or just the medinas themselves, iconic images like lengthening shadows in the dunes as your camel train nears camp, or Marrakech (and the main square of Jemaa el Fnaa) at sunset from the Cafe France balcony ….

Jen Mefford-I would be most excited to get a picture riding a camel across the desert!

differentdoors-Choose one photograph? C’mon!! What are all those memory cards for! Ok. This may sound crazy, but i’d like to get all of us in it, sitting on a traditional carpet, with the locals that we befriend, sharing some divine Tagine grub, maybe giving the camel a bite too, with the image complemented by the beautiful beautiful Moroccan architecture in the background. Too much? Thought so, but that’s what Morocco’s gonna be!! Fingers crossed.

The Fairy Trails-Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the worlds, she walks into mine <3
I've been obsessed with Morocco since the 7th grade, when we ate couscous on Multicultural day. I suppose I would have to take a photo of couscous and every traditional dish I can find!

lola -what photo would i be most excited to capture? that’s a toughie!! probably one of you, angie & me all smoking hookahs together in the desert underneath a carpeted tent. it would be obvious in the photo that we’ve just enjoyed a moroccan picnic with handsome moroccan men who are now gathering our camels to head back to our 5 star hotel. ONE CAN DREAM right?!

Pauline -AH!!! I really want to photograph those camels!! They’re just so darn humourous. Oh and also the eclectic energy of the markets and the glorious food!

Beth Brune -It’s really cool that you and Angie are doing this contest for your readers! Morocco looks amazing, and I’m sure I would find many exciting photos to take. However, since riding a camel is on my bucket list, I would be most excited to take a photograph of the camel and the views of the desert from the camels back.

Kelsey-My favorite things to photograph are people and their everyday-life surroundings, in their true-not-touristy-like lives where we would hopefully be invited into. Nothing is more rewarding than learning about other cultures and how they live! I know Morocco would give all sorts of photographic opportunities, but this would be my most treasured.

Trekking in Marokko -I am keen on making photos in the blue city, chefchaouen!

TOOKL-The desert at sunrise after having arrived there in the evening, and slept there under the heavens.

Ethan Adeland-I’m picturing a large round dinner table full of beautiful plates, vibrant colours, fresh produce from the market and a fragrant aroma that will stay with me forever. That’s what I want to photograph.

Alouise-Morocco has been my dream trip for years. I don’t know what I wouldn’t take a picture of. I think i’d be most excited to take photos of the souks, and all the beautiful architecture and scenery, but I’m sure I’d come across something totally unexpected I’d have to snap a photo of as well.

jouljet -I would LOVE to go crazy with a camera with the colours and faces in the markets of Morocco!

Love that you have opened this up to your readers – what a great comp!

Barbara Benham-This is an amazing sweeps, and as my handle suggests, I’ve entered a sweeps or two. (I’ve never sponsored one, though!) Morocco is absolutely on my fantasy list. It is surely one of the most photogenic places on the planet, and that’s saying lots. Good luck to all!

Christina H. -Can’t wait to actually experience and photograph a kasbah! What a thrill to improve upon my kasbah knowledge aside from what I gleaned from that song “Rock the Casbah.” Morocco seems to be a photographer’s dream: architecture, mountains, people, markets…what heaven!

Matthew Karsten-No trip to Morocco would be complete without capturing a little nightlife, so we’d definitely need to rock the kasbah with some locals.

My priority however would be to attach a GoPro camera to the head of my camel while trekking through the desert. A “Camel Cam” if you will…

Guest -So excited by the thought of being able to photograph the minaret-dotted skylines and geometric architecture of Morocco.

Kurt Trumble-Cool contest guys. Even cooler that you guys are traveling with your readers! Congrats.

Brandee Sanders -It would be having a chance to engage and immerse myself in a place I’ve only seen photos of, to literally step across the world and embrace a people, culture and truly remarkable location that is Morocco. To look into the eyes of it’s people, and learn their diverse and intriguing customs. From sultans to street sweepers, this place has a story to tell, and I for one, would love to read it! Looking forward to hearing more about this adventure!

Monica McCarthy-Ok, so I totally got trigger happy and posted a comment before I read the rules… First things first, I would insist that we purchase the same hat Ingrid Bergman wore in “Casablanca.” Second, we would absolutely ride camels and shop in Marrakech (perhaps smoke some hooka?). Third, we would capture a photo that was totally unplanned and in the moment and would instantly capture the beauty of the country and it’s people. Oh, and we’d make some fun videos!;)

Samantha Reho -Here’s to hoping I can use my new camera capturing the spice markets, architecture and beautiful Moroccan people. Also, taking detailed pictures of every single meal I eat — what can I say?! I’m a foodie at heart! Fingers crossed!

Vanessa Bouhadana-Capturing Morocco’s essence in one photograph, for me, would have to be a Berber family making beautiful pottery goods. I’m a sucker for anything handmade and photographing their process would be priceless!! My father is Moroccan (hence my last name) and currently lives in Casablanca. I haven’t been in a long time and now that I’m older I would have a much greater appreciation for my culture.

Kirsten Alana-That’s another vote for the camels! Love the idea. Thank you so much for entering!!

Kirsten Alana-That’s a second vote for Chefchaouen!! Must be a great place, I will definitely remember it when I go. Thanks for entering.

Karise Edmunds-I would get a photograph on the blue streets of Chefchaouen!

Kirsten Alana-I do LOVE a good sunrise or sunset — that would get my vote too. Thank you for entering, Justin!! I hope you and Juliet are doing well

Kirsten Alana-Ooooohhhh, the alleyways of Chefchaouen sound very photo-worthy indeed! What a great idea. Thank you so much for entering. Blogging babes on tour indeed, what fun that would be!

Justin Hamlin-After seeing so many people visit the area, I would love to be able to photograph the vast expanse of the Sahara desert at sunrise. It would truly be an awe inspiring trip and photographic journey

Ordinary Traveler-Woohoo! Morocco was the country I voted for! I’ve always wanted to capture photos while riding through the desert on a camel, so that would be the photo I would most like to capture.

Kirsten Alana-The souk is definitely one of the things I am really looking forward to as well!! Thanks for the entry

Kirsten Alana-Yay!! Great minds… I think riding a camel would make for incredibly fun photographs. I will definitely look forward to that as well. Thank you for entering!!

Kirsten Alana-Oh dear I would love to travel with you to Morocco dear Amber!! I think photographing the preparation of couscous would be both good and bad. How would I stop from eating it while photographing …. but YUMGASM for sure. Beautiful food photography potential. And you’re so good at that.

Amber DeGrace-YES! Morocco would be such a dream come true. The photograph(s) I would be most excited to capture would be of the experience of learning to make perfect couscous. It’s harder than it looks and with my new olloclip I know I could get some awesome close up shots of the dish.

The ruins wouldn’t be so bad to photograph either.

Or the desert.

Or…

or…

…

Melissa Shearer-D’oh… i totally hit post before I told you what I wanted to capture… Definitely the blue and white alleyways of Chefchaouen would be first on my “to photograph” list

So many amazing photographic opportunities in Morocco!

Diana Nguyen-Awesome, I’m glad Morocco won! If I ended up going, you’d be irritated w/me in the souk – I wouldn’t leave ’til I got at least 100 photos!

Melissa Shearer-While I did choose Peru… I would absolutely LOVE going to Morocco! And to experience it with you girls and Intrepid would be a dream! Pick me, pick me haha